Globetrotter

Thanks everybody for your encouragement. It is now day 6 and I believe I am just now beginning to feel the full brunt of this event. I'm very tired and the littlest effort poops me out. Today I've decided to get in the full 60oz of Water, even if that means coming nowhere near my proper Protein amounts. Dehydration is scary. I will also shuffle over to the market and see if they have any of these sugar free syrups you guys mention, something to reduce the nastiness of my Proteins. For now I will sit on the couch in my pj's, wrapped in blankets, and read while staring out the window at the lovely foggy ocean view. It would help if I could get some kind of nsv here soon tho ...:crying:

I'm 5 days post-op and everybody keeps saying walk walk walk. So today I put on a sunhat, packed a little bottle of Water and a little bottle of Protein Drink, put on my sunglasses, and took off. Leisurely stroll with plenty of stops to browse in shops, sat on a bench and knitted awhile, sip sip sipped. This was not a workout powerwalk by any means and yet after 3 hours I am finally back home and utterly wiped. Before anyone freaks out, at least 45 minutes of those 3 hrs was spent sitting on a bench knitting. I haven't had enough Protein today (25gs) but a call from my nutritionist today convinced me that for right now #1 important is to be hydrated so water got ahead of protein.

Why am I so tired? I'm not sleepy-tired, but I could fall into bed and stare out the window for a solid hour I think. I think I've also hit the wall of disgust and frustration with this nastier than possible protein powders. =( =(

This crap is DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am 5 days out from surgery and have been living off Protein powders blended with Water and whoever invented this crap was an a$$h013. I choke down 80g's worth of Protein every day and try to keep up with the Water but I feel like I am being punished for every pleasure I've ever had from food. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!! I need real food with real flavor, not this gritty paste water that tastes of a$$. I don't mind that I'm on liquids, but anything but this!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHH.

PS - yes, I've tried a variety of the brands, all a$$. And I'm only getting in about 300 cals a day, the doc wants me at 600.

Thank you Papillon, we WERE talking about Bento boxes, lol! I think taking the time to arrange a bento is not for everyone but for me I think it will be an outlet for the focus on food that I (and I'm sure many of us) still have. Some of the finishes bentos I've seen are so impressive, tiger faces on deviled eggs, bunnies made from squid sushi, little sumo faces carved into vegetables. A common complaint here on the forum is the worry over feeling left out at mealtimes and at the dinner table, I say have fun with your food, there's so little of it now we might as well make the most of it!

so here I am, four days post-op. I'm mouthing around a cold sf popsicle, propped up by pillows. I've had 80g of Protein thanks to the powders sent home with me by my surgeon. I hope Im done taking the liquid vicoden as it tastes horrible and gives me trippy dreams. Painful hiccups, seriously painful, and more pain with plain Water than with anything else. Thank goodness for popsicles. Haven't begun taking my Vitamins yet, any thoughts on that? I have a Gummy multivit and a B12 complete. I went out to dinner with family tonight and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them eat and smelling the aromas, felt zero emotions of being left out etc. Am now sipping very cold lemon squirted homemade chicken broth, yum!!

Surgeon used glue instead of stitches so that pulls and scratches a little, hurts after I stand up as things fall into place, painful hiccups, and can't sleep on my stomach which is turning out to be the most difficult thing of all. Any word on when we can do that? Haven't weighed myself yet, don't see a point, it's only been 4 days and any weight loss right now will just reflect the fluids and gases from the surgery. When I get back to work I will have an opportunity to weigh myself. I can wait a month!

I am still wrapping my brain and emotions around the fact that I did this, it seems unreal, and then all too real. I've had the emotional tearful "what have I done to myself" moment, haven't had any NSV's yet - rings aren't loose yet. Just taking it day by day and trying to rest. Think I'll go chew a pepcid. Thank you everybody for letting me speak!! And where to I go to get one of those ticker thingies? :tongue_smilie:

So I am about to be sleeved and I am thinking ahead to my full liquids phase; I have some unflavored Protein Powder to add to my broths and I want to know - what is the rule on cream Soups? No chunks, nothing to chew, just cream soups. I have a lobster bisque that is very smooth and creamy and absorbs the Protein really well, is it okay??

So here I am in the hotel room in San Francisco; all pre-op is done, I'm starving, and I report to the hospital at 6AM. Since I can't eat anything but Clear Liquids I am of course watching the food Network! Now I see why we call it food porn!=P

I have no fear regarding the surgery however there is still a part of me that is disbelieving, that wonders if this will actually work. It isn't rational or logical - I've read the forum, I know it works! But still ...

So, the next time I get on here I will be post-op, gulp!! Ciao for now!!:thumbup1:

Thank you so much for understanding everybody!! I am getting ready start the travel journey that will take me home for surgery and journey it is; four planes, maybe a helicopter, buses, and four days straight of travel. Once I get there I am going to fall into my Mother's arms, take a deep breath, and focus on getting myself into the right mental, emotional, and psychological space to prepare for this leap for which I have assiduously prepared. Total weight I hope to drop from surgery to goal, 160 pounds, but I think that first 10 pounds is going to mean a whole lot.

Oh, an addition to my Farewell to food meal, bruschetta on crunchy toasted garlic rubbed bread with heirloom tomatoes, basil, and fresh cracked black pepper and Kosher salt. drooooooool!

no pun intended, lol! Seriously, can all those threads from that account be removed?

Wow, this never ocurred to me. Medic alert bracelets. No blind NG tube?

Okay, you guys are freaking me out big time!!!! I am 8 days away from surgery and I believe in this decision and I am going to do this, but you guys are freaking me out! This is my nightmare regarding this surgery, that I go through all the pain and expense, that I follow the diet faithfully, and then lose nothing at all or just a few pitiful pounds. A stall of 6-8 weeks?!! That's not a stall, that's a full on stop! WTF! How can one not lose weight with this?!! 700 calories a day ... Protein ... exercise ... hydration ... how can one not lose weight?? this makes me feel rather bleak.

I am very glad that one of the perks of working for the Army is that I have access to free mental healthcare. I will definitely make use of it, along with keeping in touch with my surgeon and sharing here on the forum.

You will be back to work in Iraq? Your concerns are valid. I am concerned. Will you have immediate access to a good hospital facility equip with qualified knowledgeable surgeons in the event that you need care?

Yes, I have access to good medical care here and my surgeon has said that I may contact him every single day if I want to. I will only be here for a couple more months after surgery anyway. Also I'll have a month to recuperate before heading back.

My imagination runs away with me sometimes and I picture losing barely 5 pounds a month, basically what I could have lost on my own without the surgery. I know we aren't supposed to admit that the speed of weight loss is a nice bonus, but I'm admitting it. I think it would be a real blow if the weight came off pound by very slow pound. How will I stop myself from eating reese's Peanut Butter cups? I may be panicking.

I actually wish I was on a pre-op diet, I hear so much about them on the forum and how important they are for shrinking the liver and I wonder why I'm not on one, and I'm not a "lightweight" either! I think I'm going to voluntarily go on a Liquid Protein diet the week before surgery.

I will be having the surgery in SF but I work in Iraq, which is 10hrs ahead of PST. I think I will join in the chat while I am stateside.

I've been a forum member for awhile now, I am going to be sleeved on July 14th with Dr. Jossart in San Francisco. I have been a faithful reader and contributor here on the forum since joining; I've read the successes, the stalls, the worries, the NSV's, the complications. I've seen the tickers showing weight loss, showing goal, showing loss beyond goal.

And with all of this information, all of this knowledge, now that it is me heading to the OR instead of watching it happen on the forum, I am hitting this patch of ...not disbelief exactly... maybe some panic? I close my eyes and try to visualize the days immediately following surgery. The sipping of Water and broth, the gentle walking. I try to visualize losing 5 lbs, 10 lbs, 25 lbs ... and that's where I hit a wall. Maybe it is because I have never had a successful weight loss higher than 25 lbs before. I'm also having a difficult time grasping the concept that a few tiny sips of broth are going to fill me up and satiate me. I couldn't do this without the support and information this forum has brought to me but at the same time, I suddenly realize I will be doing this alone ... no husband who is doing it with me, no girlfriend who is maybe going to do it soon too... and once I finish vacation and return to work, I will be in a work environment 24/7 with people who don't know about it and wouldn't understand the first thing about weight struggle. I'm getting anxious too.

CKnorte - I absolutely feel your fear! I am less than 10 days pre-op and am having similar thoughts cycle through my mind. What if it doesn't work? What if I'm the one person who doesn't lose weight with the sleeve? What if I lose a pathetic amount and then stall permanently? What if what if what if ... do I really understand that there will not be any french fries or ice cream in my life? Am I prepared for this? I believe that I am as prepared as I can reasonably be, but that doesn't stop the thoughts. All I can do is hope; follow the rules, seek help when I need it, and trust that it works.

Yep, I read the label when I got home, they are the carb controls. It's a relief to know that I have a good source of Protein available without having to special order and wait. I don't have access to a blender but I can keep them in the freezer and then use a water bottle with one of those wire shaker balls to get it really blended.

My surgeon did not put me on a pre-op liquid diet but I will do one anyway for the week prior to surgery. The only exception to that will be my Farewell Meal lol: a BLT with pickles on lightly toasted sourdough bread with mustard and mayo. yummmm!!

Texas - I don't know either if they are Myoplex carb control, they come in four packs, are packaged in purple and silver bottles that seem like they are made of the same material that juice boxes are made of. They are about 3-4 inches tall. I'll probably put them in my freezer that doesn't really freeze anything so they'll get super cold. Glad to hear they are good! Are you able to finish one in a single sitting?

Silver Lining - I'm getting sleeved soon and I guess I'm lucky that I will be in my Protein Shake phase during the summer, icy frozen shakes are welcome during hot summer months!!

I posted the thread about the prolab powder, this is what is available at the PX. I just discovered that besides the powder, they also have ready to drink bottles of Myoplex, I think that's how it's spelled. 28g Protein, 4 carbs per serving. I got a four pack for my fridge so that I have something waiting for me when I return. Anybody try this stuff?

Not to enable your addiction or anything but I found that the only day I could get true numbers on my scale was the day after I finished my period, in the morning, after using the bathroom. Gravity alone will give you higher numbers by the end of the day, plus any Water retention, if you've been on your feet all day, etc. etc. By following this method of scale use, I discovered that I "put on" 7 pounds every month right before and during my period. The day after I finished I would see not only the loss of the cycle pounds, but also the true loss of real weight.

After I'm sleeved I'm not going to buy a personal scale, I'll use the one at work when no one is around, that will keep me from constant scale use.=) I will keep a tape measure though, maybe tape myself every sunday.

For a period of time your surgeon is going to be the most important person in your life, do you want it to be someone that makes you feel small? After all the pre-op prep and paperwork that I have gone through I now understand just how much a part of my life my surgeon and his team will be, for at least several years. I'm really glad that I like my surgeon and feel comfortable with him. I would feel anxious if he was a dick.